The British Home Office has confirmed that the suspect in the knife attack is a Sudanese national who arrived in the UK in 2023 from the Republic of Ireland. The man received refugee status and a residence permit until 2028.
On Tuesday, demonstrators on Newtownards Road set fire to a bus, and Northern Ireland police announced increased security measures amid fears of further riots. The services expect that the unrest may repeat.
An appeal to Poles and the situation in the city
The Polish Consulate in Belfast appealed to Poles to exercise particular caution and avoid places where clashes may break out. Maciej Wewiór, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that there was no information about injured Polish citizens.
The atmosphere in the city is tense – shops are closed and schools have sent children home early. Aleksandra Łojek, a sociologist living in Belfast, reported in an interview with TVN24 that it is practically impossible to leave the city by any means of public transport.
Translink announced it was suspending all train and bus services from late afternoon. Ofcom, the British media regulator, has called on online platform operators to remove content that incites violence and spreads hate. According to the organization, such entries contributed to the escalation of unrest in Belfast.
